Current systems and methods of unloading and loading material (e.g., catalyst, rock, and/or waste) for use in catalyst converters, such as those used in acid plants (e.g., sulphuric acid plants), have a number of drawbacks that negatively affect cost, efficiencies, environmental risks and safety risks associated with the unloading and loading of catalyst material from the beds of converters in acid plants.
Current systems and methods for unloading and loading catalyst converter beds generate a large amount of waste/material loss, unwanted catalyst and rock dust, and are typically slow and inefficient processes. The large amount of waste, material loss (e.g., catalyst and rock), and catalyst dust generated by current systems, results in a number of cost, environmental, and personnel safety issues. As a result, extra equipment, man-power, and precautions are required to deal with these issues, thus increasing overall cost and reducing efficiency. Further still, the current systems and methods require a large amount of storage space for storing unloaded material until it the material is re-loaded back in the converter beds. The large amount of material loss, in particular catalyst material, lost during the unloading and loading process is also undesirable due to the high cost of catalyst material.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and method for unloading and loading catalyst converter beds that provides improved dust collection; faster material unloading/loading process, increased efficiency; improved environmental and personnel safety; less equipment and man-power requirements; decreased amount of catalyst material loss; and more efficient means for storage of unloaded converter bed materials, such as catalyst and rock.